CHRISTOPHER RIDGE

A little late on the update on this one. Honestly, I forgot to log my latest story. Story 8 is done I just haven't made any changes on it yet. Soon I'll be compiling those into a small collection. This weeks story has been started and will be done soon. This one is a practice story from a prompt from my short story writer's group where I write an entire story in dialogue. Yes, it will still have my usual blood and guts. Stay tuned.

Story #7 has been sent in to be looked over. Looks like I have myself a new character that makes regular appearances. It's a dog named Chewy. I thought about writing a longer work titled Chewy and me. Except Chewy isn't so friendly. He eats dogs like Marley for breakfast. He is a vicious man eater owned by two rednecks. Bet you couldn't have guessed that. Looks like I may turn this into a series of stories and publish them in one collection of gruesome tales.  I'm going to be posting some stories up here soon so you can get an idea of what my stories are all about. Think SLASH N' GASH Heavy carnage. Lots of blood and guts and wrap it all up with some sick humor and some shocking endings. I love shocking endings.

Crazy right? As if anybody really cares what I'm doing on here in the first place. Beware though. If you're not reading this I know who you are and I will find you because I have a special set of skills that allows me to inflict some serious bodily harm upon you. Love those movies Taken with Liam Neilson. I'm going to put that line right up there with Clint Eastwood in Dirty harry with "GO AHEAD. MAKE MY DAY" Best movie line ever. Week six story is done. This was more like it and I felt more at home with this one. A fun sort of splattery tale about Chewy and me. If you want to know who Chewy is then you'll have to read the story. It's going to be off to the proofers here sometime today. I also thought it would be a great idea to post my weekly stories up here as I write them that way you can read them and say. "Hey. What a real sicko this guy is" "He belongs in an insane asylum" You probably knew there was something wrong

Week five story is done. This time I tried a more subtle type of horror story. Not quite sure how it panned out considering it's not my norm and it turned out to be a bit unusual. Starting in June I will also be adding a novella in the mix as well as my weekly stories. Moving right along

Late post but last week story is done. I knew I would have limited writing time due to the surgery last week so I managed an additional story a few days before I had to go back to the hospital. The doctors prepared me enough for how this was all going to happen so I thought it would be a good idea to have an extra in the bank. Skin work is done and just waiting on things to heal. I do have a follow up coming up this week so with my arm wrapped up the way it is it is going to slow me down a bit. Just a tad Moving right along

Weekly story is done and I'm moving right a long and having a good time at it. I am right on track with Dean Smith's story challenge. I even wrote an extra story this week so I have one in the bank just for those 'just in case' situations. I always like to be ahead.  I'm reading a lot of different short stories in other genres. Mostly on the dark side of life. Joyce Carol Oates is really good at this. I did notice my last couple of stories are hitting on a more emotional level. Not so much action about what is happening to the character but how the character is responding to the situation. I've learned that is what really makes the story.  Also, reading some Hemingway short stories which was recommended by Joyce Oates. I took some extra time and watched a few videos of her. She talked a lot about the different types of writing, mostly styles and the importance of white space and how the reader responds to it.  Next month I am going to start writing a

Third story of the month is done. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to abandon the story a day in May challenge. It's just getting too hard for me to do all that writing with my wrist and arm the way it is and it is putting too much pressure on it. Some of the stories are wanting to be longer and I can't write much over two thousand words it seems. I am continuing on with the story a week though. That one was the one I started with and I am continuing onward with that. Yesterday read a couple more chapters of my Jim Thompson book. Has some funny parts to it plus I have my collection of Joyce Carol Oates stories which I am learning a great deal from.. see ya soon

Finished up the second story for May so off to a great start. This streak will gain more power as I truck along. I do have a surgery coming up, not sure when yet but I should be home the same day. Still I want to have an extra story in the bank just in case it turns into a non writing day. It shouldn't but I want to be prepared Got into a great discussion about noir fiction with a writer friend of mine today and have some good story ideas.  I'm learning to add more emotion to my stories. Emotion gives stories power. Joyce carol Oates is a good one for this. Been reading a Jim Thompson novel. I really like this guy. He has a sick and twisted sense of humor and I like how he just has characters appear out of nowhere, AFTER DARK MY SWEET . Now, what's there not to love about a title like that?  And this character has a serious attitude problem. Actually, there's not a nice person in this book at all as far as I can see. I'm loving it. Great fun. see ya soon

Okay, it's May 1 and the first story of the month is done. Also this counts for the weekly story as well. One short story a day is about all I can manage and I have to write it in short periods. Too long and my arm get really tired because of the nerves.  The doctor says they don't want me not to use it but keep everything I do simple. No lifting, no running around outside doing things. They don't want me to do anything until after the second surgery follow up then they will talk light duty until things get back to working order. This short story challenge allows me the freedom to play around. I'm trying out different things with my writing and in a few other genres. I discovered while reading some others that I really like noir. Dark stories where the protagonist is self-destructing. Not sure why I like those kinds of stories other than the fact that life tends to work that way. How many times do we find ourselves trying to solve a problem and we end up making

New blog. New look in case you haven't noticed. I decided I wanted to make this more of a journal type blog and didn't want to mess with all the bells and whistles that come with a regular site. Plus this is free and simple to use. I think I'll be staying here for a while. So what's new? Lots. I've started a yearly challenge of writing a short story a week for an entire year. Actually longer than that. I need to keep this streak going past 72 weeks to beat my friend Harvey Stanbrough's record. So that's a lot of fun. Of course whenever you start anything new something always has to happen. For instance I got attacked by a pit bull while I was at work and he chewed my arm up pretty good. I'm off work right now and in between surgeries,s till I manged to get my story for the week done last week. I'm OK as long as I write in short periods throughout the day otherwise if I try and do too much I get sore. So easy does it wins the race. I'm